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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


EDITHA'S    BURGLAR 


A   STORY   FOR   CHILDREN 


BY 


FRANCES     HODGSON     BURNETT 


ILLUSTRATED    8V 

HENRY    SANDHAM 


BOSTON 

JORDAN,    MARSH    &   COMPANY 
1895 


COPYRIGHT,  1888, 
BY  JORDAN,  MARSH  &  CC 


Emma  M.  Fv.rraeister, 


661679 


/tcr 


*&f&^?L- 


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xUT- 


/Vsa-uA-, 


C  Writt<:n  by  Elsie  Leslie  Lyiie,  the  original  Editha, 
eight  years  old.) 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

EDITHA Frontispiece 

SHE  SPENT  MOST  OF  HER  TIME  IN  THE  LIBRARY  READING  HER  PAPA'S 

BIG  HOOKS 13 

THROUGH  THE  NEWSPAPERS  SHE  FOUND  THERE  WERE  MEN  WHO  LIVED 

BY  BREAKING  INTO  PEOPLE'S  HOUSES 17 

"NEVER  MIND  ABOUT  THE  BURGLARS,  NIXIE" 21 

"THE  BURGLARS,  MlSS,  THAT  BROKE  INTO  NUMBER  EIGHTEEN  LAST  NIGHT"  25 

"  KITTY,"  HE  SAID,  "I  AM  OBLIGED  TO  GO  TO  GLASGOW" 29 

"  DON'T  BE  FRIGHTENED,"  SHE  SAID,  "  I  DON'T  WANT  TO  HURT  YOU  "  .  33 

HE  LAUGHED  SO  HARD,  THAT  HE  DOUBLED  UP 37 

"  IT'S  CURIOUS  THAT  YOU  SHOULD  KNOW  JUST  WHERE  TO  LOOK  FOR 

THINGS,"  SAID  EDITHA 41 

"  To  THINK  O'  ME  FORGETTIN'  MY  CARD-CASE,"  HE  SAID 45 

EDITHA  CAME  SLOWLY  DOWN  THE  STAIRCASE  WITH  HER  TREASURES  .  .  49 

IlE  THREW  HIS  HEAD  VERY  FAR  BACK,  WHICH  WAS  VULGAR 53 

"TO  THINK  OF  HER  RISKING  HER  DEAR  LITTLE  LIFE  TO  SAVE  ME !  "  .  .  57 
THE  BURGLAR  BROUGHT  FROM  UNDER  HIS  MATTRESS  A  BOX,  WHICH 

HE  HANDED  TO  THE  LITTLE  GIRL 6l 


EDITHA'S   BURGLAR. 


BY  FRANCES  HODGSON  BURNETT. 


WILL  begin  by  saying  that  Editha  was  always 
rather  a  queer  little  girl,  and  not  much  like 
other  children.  She  was  not  a  strong,  healthy 
little  girL-aiKLhad  never  been  able  to  run  about  and 
play;  and,  as  she  had  no  sisters  or  brothers,  or  com 
panions  of  her  own  size,  she  was  rather  old-fash 
ioned,  as  her  aunts  used  to  call  it.  She  had  always 
been  very  fond  of  books,  and  had  learned  to  read 
when  she  was  such  a  tiny  child,  that  I  should  almost 
be  afraid  to  say  how  tiny  she  was  when  she  read  her 
first  volume  through.  Her  papa  wrote  books  him 
self,  and  was  also  the  editor  of  a  newspaper ;  and, 
as  he  had  a  large  library,  Editha  perhaps  read  more 
than  was  quite  good  for  her.  She  lived  in  London ; 
and,  as  her  mamma  was  very  young  and  pretty,  and 


\2 


went  out  a  great  deal,  and  her  papa  was  so  busy,  and 
her  governess  only  came  in  the  morning,  she  was 
left  to  herself  a  good  many  hours  in  the  day,  and 
when  she  was  left  to  herself,  she  spent  the  greater 
part  of  her  time  in  the  library  reading  her  papa's 
big  books,  and  even  his  newspapers. 

She  was  very  fond  of  the  newspapers,  because 
she  found  so  many  curious  things  in  them,  —  stories, 
for  instance,  of  strange  events  which  happened 
every  day  in  the  great  city  of  London,  and  yet 
never  seemed  to  happen  anywhere  near  where  she 
lived.  Through  the  newspapers,  she  found  that  there 
were  actually  men  who  lived  by  breaking  into  peoples' 
houses  and  stealing  all  the  nice  things  they  could 
carry  away,  and  she  read  that  such  men  were  called 
burglars.  When  she  first  began  to  read  about 
burglars,  she  was  very  much  troubled.  In  the  first 
place,  she  felt  rather  timid  about  going  to  bed  at 
night,  and,  in  the  second  place,  she  felt  rather  sorry 
for  the  burglars. 

"  I  suppose  no  one  ever  taught  them  any  .better,'' 
she  thought. 

In  fact,  she  thought  so  much  about  the  matter, 
that  she  could  not  help  asking  her  papa  some  ques- 


SHE    SPENT    MOST    OF    HER    TIME    IN    THE    LIBRARY    READING    HER 
PAPA'S    BIG    BOOKS. 


tions  one  morning  when  he  was  at  breakfast.  He 
was  reading  his  paper  and  eating  his  chops  both  at 
once  when  she  spoke  to  him. 

"  Papa,"  she  said,  in  a  solemn  little  voice,  and 
looking  at  him  in  a  very  solemn  manner,  "  papa 
dear,  what  do  you  think  of  burglars  —  as  a  class?  " 
(She  said  "as  a  class,"  because  she  had  heard  one 
of  her  papa's  friends  say  it,  and  as  he  was  a  gentle 
man  she  admired  very  much,  she  liked  to  talk  as  he 
did.)  Her  papa  gave  a  little  jump  in  his  chair,  as  if 
she  had  startled  him,  and  then  he  pushed  his  hair 
off  his  forehead  and  stared  at  her. 

"  Burglars  !  As  a  class !  "  he  said,  and  then  he 
stared  at  her  a  minute  again  in  rather  a  puzzled 
way.  "Bless  my  soul!"  he  said.  "As  a  class, 
Nixie ! "  (that  was  his  queer  pet  name  for  her.) 
"  Nixie,  where  is  your  mother  ?  " 

"  She  is  in  bed,  papa  dear,  and  we  must  n't  dis 
turb  her,"  said  Editha.  "  The  party  last  night  tired 
her  out.  I  peeped  into  her  room  softly  as  I  came 
down.  She  looks  so  pretty  when  she  is  asleep. 
What  do  you  think  of  burglars,  papa  ? " 

"  I  think  they're  a  bad  lot,  Nixie,"  said  her  papa 
"  a  bad  lot." 


16 

"  Are    there    no   good    burglars,    papa  ?  " 

"  Well,  Nixie,"  answered  papa,  "  I  should  say  not. 
As  a  rule  you  know,  —  "  and  here  he  began  to 
smile,  as  people  often  smiled  at  Editha  when  she 
asked  questions  —  "  As  a  rule  burglars  are  not  dis 
tinguished  for  moral  perspicuity  and  blameless  char 
acter." 

But  Editha  did  not  understand  what  moral  per 
spicuity  meant,  and  besides  she  was  thinking  again. 

"  Miss  Lane  was  talking  to  me  the  other  day, 
about  some  poor  children  who  had  never  been  taught 
anything ;  they  had  never  had  any  French  or  music 
lessons,  and  scarcely  knew  how  to  read,  and  she  said 
they  had  never  had  any  advantages.  Perhaps  that 
is  the  way  with  the  burglars,  papa,  —  perhaps  they 
have  never  had  any  advantages,  —  perhaps  if  they 
had  had  advantages  they  mightn't  have  been  burg 
lars." 

"  Lessons  in  French  and  music  are  very  elevating 
to  the  mind,  my  dear  Nixie,"  papa  began  in  his 
laughing  way,  which  was  always  a  trial  to  Editha, 
but  suddenly  he  stopped,  and  looked  at  her  rather 
sadly. 

"  How  old  are  you,  Nixie  ?  "  he  asked. 


THROUGH    THE    NEWSPAPERS    SHE    FOUND    THERE    "WERE    MEN    WHO 
LIVED    BY    BREAKING    INTO    PEOPLE'S    HOUSES. 


•*  I  am  seven,"  answered  Editha,  "  seven  years, 
going  on  eight." 

Papa  sighed. 

"  Come  here,  little  one,"  he  said,  holding  out  his 
strong  white  hand  to  her. 

She  left  her  chair  and  went  to  him,  and  he  put  his 
arms  around  her,  and  kissed  her,  and  stroked  her 
long  brown  hair. 

"  Don't  puzzle  your  little  brain  too  much,"  he  said, 
"  never  mind  about  the  burglars,  Nixie." 

"  Well,"  said  Editha,  "  I  can't  help  thinking  about 
them  a  little,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  there  must  be, 
perhaps,  one  good  burglar  among  all  the  bad  ones, 
and  I  can't  help  being  rather  sorry,  even  for  the  bad 
ones.  You  see,  they  must  have  to  be  up  all  night, 
and  out  in  the  rain  sometimes,  and  they  can't  help 
not  having  had  advantages." 

It  was  strange  that  the  first  thing  she  heard,  when 
she  went  up  to  henrramma's  room,  was  something 
about  burglars. 

She  was  very,  very  fond  of  her  mamma,  and  very 
proud  of  her.  She  even  tried  to  take  care  of  her  in 
her  small  way  ;  she  never  disturbed  her  when  she  was 
asleep,  and  she  always  helped  her  to  dress,  bringing 


20 


her  things  to  her,  buttoning  her  little  shoes  and 
gloves,  putting  the  perfume  on  her  handkerchiefs, 
and  holding  her  wraps  until  she  wanted  them. 

This  morning,  when  she  went  into  the  dressing 
room,  she  found  the  chamber-maid  there  before  her, 
and  her  dear  little  mamma  looking  very  pale. 

"  Ah  mem  !  if  you  please  mem  !  "  the  chamber 
maid  w^as  saying,  "  what  a  blessing  it  was  they  did  n't 
come  here !  " 

"  Who,  Janet  ?  "  Editha  asked. 

"  The  burglars,  Miss,  that  broke  into  Number 
Eighteen  last  night,  and  carried  off  all  the  silver, 
and  the  missus's  jewelry." 

"  If  burglars  ever  do  break  in  here,"  said  mamma, 
"  I  hope  none  of  us  will  hear  them,  though  it  would 
almost  break  my  heart  to  have  my  things  taken.  If 
I  should  waken  in  the  night,  and  find  a  burglar  in 
my  room,  I  think  it  would  kill  me,  and  I  know  I 
should  scream,  and  then  there  is  no  knowing  what 
they  might  do.  If  ever  you  think  there  is  a  burglar 
in  the  house,  Nixie,  whatever  you  do,  don't  scream 
or  make  any  noise.  It  would  be  better  to  have 
one's  things  stolen,  than  to  be  killed  by  burglars  foi 
screaming." 


•NEVER  MIND  ABOUT  THE  BURGLARS,  NIXIE.' 


23 

She  was  not  a  very  wise  little  mamma,  and  often 
said  rather  thoughtless  things ;  but  she  was  very 
gentle  and  loving,  and  Editha  was  so  fond  of  her 
that  she  put  her  arms  round  her  waist  and  said  to 
her: 

"  Mamma,  dearest,  I  will  never  let  any  burglars 
hurt  you  or  frighten  you  if  I  can  help  it.  I  do  be 
lieve  I  could  persuade  them  not  to.  I  should  think 
even  a  burglar  would  listen  to  reason." 

That  made  her  mamma  laugh,  so  that  she  forgot 
all  about  the  burglars  and  began  to  get  her  color 
again,  and  it  was  not  long  before  she  was  quite  gay, 
and  was  singing  a  song  she  had  heard  at  the  opera, 
while  Editha  was  helping  her  to  dress. 

But  that  very  night  Editha  met  a  burglar. 

Just  before  dinner,  her  papa  came  up  from  the  city 
in  a  great  hurry.  He  dashed  up  to  the  front  door 
in  a  cab,  and,  jumping  out,  ran  upstairs  to  mamma, 
who  was  sitting  in  the  drawing  room,  while  Editha 
read  aloud  to  her. 

"  Kitty,  my  dear,"  he  said,  "  I  am  obliged  to  go  to 
Glasgow  by  the  '  five  '  train.  I  must  throw  a  few 
things  into  a  portmanteau  and  go  at  once." 

Oh,  Francis  !  "  said  mamma.     "  And  just  after 


24 

that  burglary  at  the  Norris's !  I  don't  like  to  be 
left  alone." 

"The  servants  are  here,"  said  papa,  "and  Nixie 
will  take  care  of  you  ;  wont  you,  Xixie  ?  Nixie  is 
interested  in  burglars." 

"  I  am  sure  Nixie  could  do  more  than  the  ser 
vants,"  said  mamma.  "  All  three  of  them  sleep  in 
one  room  at  the  top  of  the  house  when  you  are 
away,  and  even  if  they  awakened  they  would  only 
scream." 

"Nixie  wouldn't  scream,"  said  papa,  laughing; 
"  Nixie  would  do  something  heroic.  I  will  leave 
you  in  her  hands." 

He  was  only  joking,  but  Editha  did  not  think  of 
what  he  said  as  a  joke  ;  she  felt  that  her  mamma 
was  really  left  in  her  care,  and  that  it  was  a  very 
serious  matter. 

She  thought  about  it  so  seriously  that  she  hardly 
talked  at  all  at  dinner,  and  was  so  quiet  afterward 
that  her  mamma  said,  "  Dear  me,  Nixie,  what  are 
you  thinking  of  ?  You  look  as  solemn  as  a  little 
owl." 

"  I  am  thinking  of  you,  mamma,"  the  child  an 
swered. 


'  THE    BURGLARS,     MISS,     THAT    BROKE    INTO    NUMBER    EIGHTEEN 
LAST    NIGHT." 


27 

And  then  her  mamma  laughed  and  kissed  her, 
and  said:  "Well,  I  must  say  I  don't  see  why  you 
should  look  so  grave  about  me.  I  did  n't  think  1 
was  such  a  solemn  subject." 

At  last  bed-time  came,  and  the  little  girl  went  to 
her  mother's  room,  because  she  was  to  sleep  there. 

"  I  am  glad  I  have  you  with  me,  Nixie,"  said 
mamma,  with  a  rather  nervous  little  laugh.  "  I  am 
sure  I  should  n't  like  to  sleep  in  this  big  room  alone." 

But,  after  she  was  in  bed,  she  soon  fell  asleep, 
and  lay  looking  so  happy  and  sweet  and  comfortable 
that  Editha  thought  it  was  lovely  to  see  her. 

Editha  did  not  go  to  sleep  for  a  long  time.  She 
thought  of  her  papa  trying  to  sleep  on  the  train, 
rushing  through  the  dark  night  on  its  way  to  Scot 
land  ;  she  thought  of  a  new  book  she  had  just  be 
gun  to  read ;  she  thought  of  a  child  she  had  once 
heard  singing  in  the  street ;  and  when  her  eyes  closed 
at  length,  her  mind  had  just  gone  back  to  the  burg 
lars  at  Number  Eighteen.  She  slept  until  midnight, 
and  then  something  wakened  her.  At  first  she  did 
not  know  what  it  was,  but  in  a  few  minutes  she 
found  that  it  was  i  queer  little  sound  coming  from 
down-stairs.  —  a  sound  like  a  stealthy  filing  of  iron. 


28 

She  understood  in  a  moment  then,  because  she 
had  heard  the  chamber-maid  say  that  the  burglars 
broke  into  Number  Eighteen  by  filing  through  the 
bars  of  the  shutters. 

"  It  is  a  burglar,"  she  thought,  "  and  he  will 
awaken  mamma." 

If  she  had  been  older,  and  had  known  more  ot 
the  habits  of  burglars,  she  might  have  been  more 
frightened  than  she  was.  She  did  not  think  of  her 
self  at  all,  however,  but  of  her  mother. 

She  began  to  reason  the  matter  over  as  quickly  as 
possible,  and  she  made  up  her  mind  that  the  burg 
lar  must  not  be  allowed  to  make  a  noise. 

"  I'll  go  down  and  ask  him  to  please  be  as  quiet  as 
he  can,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  and  I'll  tell  him  why." 

Certainly,  this  was  a  queer  thing  to  think  of  doing, 
but  I  told  you  when  I  began  my  story  that  she  was 
a  queer  little  girl. 

She  slipped  out  of  bed  so  quietly  that  she  scarcely 
stirred  the  clothes,  and  then  slipped  just  as  quietly 
out  of  the  room  and  down  the  stairs. 

The  filing  had  ceased,  but  she  heard  a  sound  of 
stealthy  feet  in  the  kitchen  ;  and,  though  it  must  be 
confessed  her  heart  beat  rather  faster  than  usual, 


HE    SAID.     "I    AM     OBLIGED    TO    GO    TO    GLASGOW.' 


she  made  her  way  to  the  kitchen  and  opened  the 
door. 

Imagine  the  astonishment  of  that  burglar  when, 
on  hearing  the  door  open,  he  turned  round  and 
found  himself  looking  at  a  slender  little  girl,  in  a 
white  frilled  night-gown,  and  with  bare  feet,  —  a  lit 
tle  girl  whose  large  brown  eyes  rested  on  him  in  a 
by  no  means  unfriendly  way. 

"  I'll  be  polite  to  him,"  Editha  had  said,  as  she 
was  coming  down-stairs.  "  I  am  sure  he'll  be  more 
obliging  if  I  am  very  polite.  Miss  Lane  says  polite 
ness  always  wins  its  way.'' 

So  the  first  words  she  spoke  were  as  polite  as  she 
could  make  them. 

"  Don't  be  frightened,"  she  said,  in  a  soft  voice.  "  I 
don't  want  to  hurt  you  ;  I  came  to  ask  a  favor  of  you." 

The  burglar  was  so  amazed  that  he  actually  forgot 
he  was  a  burglar,  and  staggered  back  against  the 
wall.  I  think  he  thought  at  first  that  Editha  was  a  lit 
tle  ghost.  "  You  see  I  could  n't  hurt  you  if  I  wanted 
to,"  she  went  on,  wishing  to  encourage  him.  "  I'm 
too  little.  I'm  only  seven,  —  and  a  little  over, —  and 
I'm  not  going  to  scream,  because  that  would  waken 
mamma,  and  that 's. just  what  I  don't  want  to  do." 


32 

That  did  encourage  the  burglar,  but  still  he  was 
so  astonished  that  he  did  not  know  what  to  do. 

"  Well,  I'm  blowed,"  he  said  in  a  whisper,  "  if  this 
ain't  a  rummy  go  !  "  which  was  extremely  vulgar 
language  ;  but,  unfortunately,  he  was  one  of  those 
burglars  who,  as  Miss  Lane  said,  "  had  not  had  any 
advantages,"  which  is  indeed  the  case  with  the  ma 
jority  of  the  burglars  of  my  acquaintance. 

Then  he  began  to  laugh,  —  in  a  whisper  also,  if 
one  can  be  said  to  laugh  in  a  whisper.  He  put  his 
hand  over  his  mouth,  and  made  no  noise,  but  he 
laughed  so  hard  that  he  doubled  up  and  rocked 
himself  to  and  fro. 

"  The  rummiest  go !''  he  said,  in  his  uneducated  way. 
"  An'  she  haint  agoin'  to  'urt  me.  Oh,  my  heye  !  K 

He  was  evidently  very  badly  educated,  indeed, 
for  he  not  only  used  singular  words,  but  sounded 
his  h's  all  in  the  wrong  places.  Editha  noticed  this, 
even  in  the  midst  of  her  surprise  at  his  laughter. 
She  could  not  understand  what  he  was  laughing  at. 
Then  it  occurred  to  her  that  she  might  have  made 
a  mistake. 

"If  you  please,"  she  said  with  great  delicacy, 
"are  you  really  a  burglar?" 


•DON'T    BE     FRIGHTENED,"    SHE    SAID,     "I     DON'T     WANT    TO    HURT    YOU. 


35 

He  stopped  laughing  just  long  enough  to  answer 
her. 

"  Lor'  no,  miss,"  he  said,  "  by  no  manner  o'  means. 
I'm  a  dear  friend  o'  yer  Par's,  come  to  make  a  evenin' 
call,  an'  not  a  wishin'  to  trouble  the  servants,  I  stepped 
in  through  the  winder." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Editha,  looking  very  gravely  at  him  ; 
"  I  see  you  are  joking  with  me,  as  papa  does  some 
times.  But  what  I  wanted  to  say  to  you  was  this : 
Papa  has  gone  to  Scotland,  and  all  our  servants  are 
women,  and  mamma  would  be  so  frightened  if  you 
were  to  waken  her,  that  I  am  sure  it  would  make 
her  ill.  And  if  you  are  going  to  burgle,  would 
you  please  burgle  as  quietly  as  you  can,  so  that  you 
wont  disturb  her  ?  " 

The  burglar  stopped  laughing,  and,  staring  at  her, 
once  more  uttered  his  vulgar  exclamation  : 

"  Well,  I'll  be  blowed  !  " 

"  Why  don't  you  say  '  I'll  be  blown  ?  '  "  asked 
Editha.  "  I'm  sure  it  isn't  correct  to  say  you'll  be 
blowed." 

She  thought  he  was  going  off  into  one  of  his  un 
accountable  fits  of  laughter  again,  but  he  did  not ; 
he  seemed  to  check  himself  with  an  effort. 


"  There  haiut  no  time  to  waste,"  she  heard  him 
mutter. 

"  No,  I  suppose  there  is  n't,"  she  answered, 
"  Mamma  might  wake  and  miss  me.  What  are  you 
going  to  burgle  first  ?  " 

"  You'd  better  go  upstairs  to  yer  mar,"  he  said, 
rather  sulkily. 

Editha  thought  deeply  for  a  few  seconds. 

"  You  ought  n't  to  burgle  anything,"  she  said. 
"  Of  course  you  know  that,  but  if  you  have  really 
made  up  your  mind  to  do  it,  I  would  like  to  show 
you  the  things  you'd  better  take." 

"  What,  fer  instance  ?  "  said  the  burglar,  with  in 
terest. 

"  You  mustn't  take  any  of  mamma's  things,"  said 
Editha,  "  because  they  are  all  in  her  room,  and  you 
would  waken  her,  and  besides,  she  said  it  would 
break  her  heart ;  and  don't  take  any  of  the  things 
papa  is  fond  of.  I'll  tell  you  what,"  turning  rather 
pale,  "  you  can  take  my  things." 

"  What  kind  o'  things  ?  "  asked  the  burglar. 

"  My  locket,  and  the  little  watch  papa  gave  me, 
and  the  necklace  and  bracelets  my  grandmamma  left 
me,  —  they  are  worth  a  great  deal  of  money,  and 


HE  LAUGHED  SO  HARD  THAT  HE  DOUBLED  UP. 


39 

they  are  very  pretty,  and  I  was  to  wear  them  when 
I  grew  to  be  a  young  lady,  but  —  you  can  take  them. 
And  —  then  —  "  very  slowly,  and  with  a  deep  sigh, 
"there  are  —  my  books.  I'm  very  fond  of  them, 
but- 

"  I  don't  want  no  books,"  said  the  burglar. 

"  Don't  you  ?  "  exclaimed  she,  "  Ah,  thank 
you." 

"  Well,"  said  the  burglar,  as  if  to  himself,  and 
staring  hard  at  her  brightening  face,  "  I  never  see 
no  sich  a  start  afore." 

"Shall  I  go  upstairs  and  get  the  other  things?" 
said  Editha. 

"  No,"  he  said.  "  You  stay  where  you  are  —  or 
stay,  come  along  o'  me  inter  the  pantry,  an'  sit  down 
while  I'm  occypied." 

He  led  the  way  into  the  pantry,  and  pushed  her 
down  on  a  step,  and  then  began  to  open  the  drawers 
where  the  silver  was  kept. 

"  Its  curious  that  you  should  know  just  where  to 
look  for  things,  and  that  your  key  should  fit,  is  n't 
i.t  ?  "  said  Editha. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  "  It's  werry  sing'lar,  indeed. 
There's  a  good  deal  in  bein'  eddicated." 


40 

"  Are  you  educated  ?  "  asked  Editha  with  a  look 
of  surprise. 

"  Did  yer  think  I  was  n't?  "  said  the  burglar, 

"  Well,"  said  Editha,  not  wishing  to  offend  him, 
"  you  see,  you  pronounce  your  words  so  very 
strangely." 

"  It's  all  a  matter  o'  taste,"  interrupted  the  burg 
lar.  "  Oxford  an'  Cambridge  'as  different  vocabil« 
laries." 

"  Did  you  go  to  Oxford?"  asked  Editha  politely. 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  nor  yet  to  Cambridge." 

Then  he  laughed  again,  and  seemed  to  be  quite 
enjoying  himself  as  he  made  some  forks  and  spoons 
up  into  a  bundle.  "  I  'ope  there  haint  no  plated 
stuff  'ere,"  he  said.  "  Plate  's  wulgar,  an'  I  'ope  yer 
parents  haint  wulgar,  cos  that  'd  be  settin'  yer  a  werry 
bad  example  an'  sp'ilin'  yer  morals." 

"  I  am  sure  papa  and  mamma  are  no*-  vulgar," 
said  Editha. 

The  burglar  opened  another  drawer,  and  chuckled 
again,  and  this  suggested  to  Editha's  mind  another 
question. 

"  Is  your  business  a  good  one  ? "  she  suddenly  in 
quired  of  him. 


•IT'S    CURIOUS    THAT    YOU     SHOULD    KNOW    JUST    WHERE    TO 
LOOK    FOR    THINGS,"    SAID    EDITHA. 


43 

"  Taint  as  good  as  it  ought  to  be,  by  no  manner 
o'  means,"  said  the  burglar.  "  Every  one  haint  as 
hobligin'  as  you,  my  little  dear." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Editha.  "  You  know  you  obliged 
me  by  not  making  a  noise." 

"  Well,"  said  the  burglar,  "  as  a  rule,  we  don't 
make  a  practice  o'  makin'  no  more  noise  than  we  can 
help.  It  haint  considered  'ealthy  in  the  perfession." 

"  Would  you  mind  leaving  us  a  few  forks  and 
spoons  to  eat  with,  if  you  please  ?  I  beg  pardon 
for  interrupting  you,  but  I'm  afraid  we  shall  not  have 
any  to  use  at  breakfast." 

"Haint  yer  got  no  steel  uns?"  inquired  the 
burglar. 

"  Mamma  would  n't  like  to  use  steel  ones,  I'm 
sure,"  Editha  answered.  "  I'll  tell  you  what  you  can 
do  :  please  leave  out  enough  for  mamma,  and  I  can 
use  steel.  I  don't  care  about  myself,  much." 

The  man  seemed  to  think  a  moment,  and  then  he 
was  really  so  accommodating  as  to  do  as  she  asked, 
and  even  went  to  the  length  of  leaving  out  her  own 
little  fork  and  knife  and  spoon. 

"  Oh !  you  are  very  kind,"  said  Editha,  when  she 
saw  him  do  this. 


44 

"  That's  a  reward  o'  merit,  cos  yer  did  n't  squeal," 
said  the  burglar. 

O 

He  was  so  busy  for  the  next  few  minutes  that  he 
did  not  speak,  though  now  and  then  he  broke  into 
a  low  laugh,  as  if  he  was  thinking  of  something  very 
funny,  indeed.  During  the  silence,  Editha  sat  hold 
ing  her  little  feet  in  her  night-gown,  and  watching 
him  very  curiously.  A  great  many  new  thoughts 
came  into  her  active  brain,  and  at  last  she  could  not 
help  asking  some  more  questions. 

"  Would  you  really  rather  be  a  burglar  than  any 
thing  else  ?  "  she  inquired,  respectfully. 

"  Well,"  said  the  man,  "  p'r'aps  Fd  prefer  to  be 
Lord  Mayor,  or  a  member  o'  the  'Ouse  o'  Lords,  or 
heven  the  Prince  o'  Wales,  honly  for  there  bein' 
hobstacles  in  the  way  of  it." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Editha  ;  "  you  could  n't  be  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  you  know.  I  meant  would  n't  you  rather  be 
in  some  other  profession  ?  My  papa  is  an  editor," 
she  added.  "  How  would  you  like  to  be  an  editor." 

''  Well,"  said  the  burglar,  "  hif  yer  par  ud  change 
with  me,  or  hif  he  chanced  to  know  hany  heditor 
with  a  roarin'  trade  as  ud  be  so  hobligin'  as  to  'and 
it  hover,  hits  wot  I've  allers  'ad  a  leanin'  to." 


•TO    THINK     O'     ME    A    FORGETTIN'     MY     CARD    CASE,"     HE    SAID. 


47 

"  I  am  sure  papa  would  not  like  to  be  a  burglar," 
said  Editha,  thoughtfully ;  "  but  perhaps  he  might 
speak  to  his  friends  about  you,  if  you  would  give  me 
your  name  and  address,  and  if  I  were  to  tell  him 
how  obliging  you  were,  and  if  I  told  him  you  really 
did  n't  like  being  a  burglar." 

The  burglar  put  his  hand  to  his  pocket  and  gave 
a  start  of  great  surprise. 

"  To  think  o'  me  a  forgettin'  my  card-case,"  he 
said,  "  an'  a  leavin'  it  on  the  planner  when  I  come 
hout.  I'm  sich  a  bloomin'  forgetful  cove.  I  might 
hev  knowed  I'd  hev  wanted  it." 

"  It  is  a  pity,"  said  Editha ;  "  but  if  you  told  me 
your  name  and  your  number,  I  think  I  could  remem 
ber  it." 

"I'm  afeared  yer  could  n't,"  said  the  burglar,  re 
gretfully,  "  but  I'll  try  yer.  Lord  Halgernon  Hed- 
ward  Halbert  de  Pentonwille,  YdePark.  Can  you 
think  o' that?" 

"  Are  you  a  lord  ?  "  exclaimed  Editha.  "  Dear 
me,  how  strange  ! " 

"  It  is  singular,"  said  the  burglar,  shaking  his  head. 
"  I've  hoften  thought  so  myself.  But  not  wishin'  to 
detain  a  lady  no  longer  than  can  be  'elped,  s'pose 


we  take  a  turn  in  the  lib'ery  among  yer  respected 
par's  things." 

"  Don't  make  a  noise,"  said  Editha,  as  she  led  the 
way. 

But  when  they  reached  the  library  her  loving  little 
heart  failed  her.  All  the  things  her  father  valued 
most  were  there,  and  he  would  be  sure  to  be  so  sorry 
if  one  thing  was  missing  when  he  returned.  She 
stood  on  the  threshold  a  moment  and  looked  about 
her. 

"  Oh,"  she  whispered,  "  please  do  me  another 
favor,  wont  you  ?  Please  let  me  slip  quietly  upstairs 
and  bring  down  my  own  things  instead.  They  will 
be  so  easy  to  carry  away,  and  they  are  very  valuable, 
and  —  and  I  will  make  you  a  present  of  them  if  you 
will  not  touch  anything  that  belongs  to  papa.  He 
is  so  fond  of  his  things  and,  besides  that,  he  is  so 
good." 

The  burglar  gave  a  rather  strange  and  disturbed 
look  at  her. 

"  Go  an'  get  yer  gimcracks,"  he  said  in  a  some 
what  grumbling  voice. 

Her  treasures  were  in  her  own  room,  and  her 
bare  feet  made  no  sound  as  she  crept  slowly  up  the 


EDITHA    CAME    SLOWLY    DOWN    THE    STAIRCASE    WITH    HER    TREASURES. 


staircase  and  then  down  again.  But  when  she 
handed  the  little  box  to  the  burglar  her  eyes  were 
wet. 

"  Papa  gave  me  the  watch,  and  mamma  gave  me 
the  locket,"  she  whispered,  tremulously  ;  "  and  the 
pearls  were  grandmamma's,  and  grandmamma  is  in 
heaven." 

It  would  not  be  easy  to  know  what  the  burglar 
thought ;  he  looked  queerer  than  ever.  Perhaps  he 
was  not  quite  so  bad  as  some  burglars,  and  felt  rather 
ashamed  of  taking  her  treasures  from  a  little  girl 
who  loved  other  people  so  much  better  than  she 
loved  herself.  But  he  did  not  touch  any  of  papa's 
belongings,  and,  indeed,  did  not  remain  much  lon 
ger.  He  grumbled  a  little  when  he  looked  into  the 
drawing-room,  saying  something  to  himself  about 
"  folks  never  'avin'  no  consideration  for  a  cove,  an' 
leavin'  nothin'  portable  'andy,  a  expectin'  of  him  to 
carry  off  seventy-five  pound  bronze  clocks  an'  mar 
ble  stattoos  ;  but  though  Editha  was  sorry  to  see  that 
he  appeared  annoyed,  she  did  not  understand  him. 

After  that,  he  returned  to  the  pantry  and  helped 
himself  to  some  cold  game  pie,  and  seemed  to  enjoy 
it,  and  then  poured  out  a  tumbler  of  wine,  which 


52 

Editha   thought    a   great   deal    to    drink    at    once. 

"  Yer  'e'lth,  my  dear,"  he  said,  "  an'  'appy  returns, 
an'  many  on  'em.  May  yer  grow  up  a  hornyment 
to  yer  sect,  an'  a  comfort  to  yer  respected  mar  an' 
par." 

And  he  threw  his  head  very  far  back,  and  drank 
the  very  last  drop  in  the  glass,  which  was  vuigar,  to 
say  the  least  of  it. 

Then  he  took  up  his  bundles  of  silver  and  the 
other  articles  he  had  appropriated,  and  seeing  that 
he  was  going  away,  Editha  rose  from  the  pantry  step. 

"  Are  you  going  out  through  the  window  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Yes,  my  dear,"  he  answered  with  a  chuckle,  "  it 's 
a  little  'abit  I've  got  into.  I  prefers  'em  to  doors." 

"  Well,  good-by,"  she  said,  holding  out  her  hand 
politely.  "And  thank  you,  my  lord." 

She  felt  it  only  respectable  to  say  that,  even  if  he 
had  fallen  into  bad  habits  and  become  a  burglar. 

He  shook  hands  with  her  in  quite  a  friendly  man 
ner,  and  even  made  a  bow. 

1  Yer  welcome,  my  dear,"  he  said.  "  An'  1  must 
hadd  that  if  I  ever  see  a  queerer  or  better  behaved 
little  kid,  may  I  be  blowed  —  or,  as  yer  told  me  it 


HE    THREW    HIS    HEAD    VERY    FAR    BACK,    WHICH    WAS    VULGAR. 


55 

would    be   more    correcter  to    say,    I'll    be    blown." 

Editha  did  not  know  he  was  joking- ;  she  thought 
he  was  improving,  and  that  if  he  had  had  advantages 
he  might  have  been  a  very  nice  man. 

It  was  astonishing  how  neatly  he  slipped  through 
the  window ;  he  was  gone  in  a  second,  and  Editha 
found  herself  standing  alone  in  the  dark,  as  he  had 
taken  his  lantern  with  him. 

She  groped  her  way  out  and  up  the  stairs,  and  then, 
for  the  first  time,  she  began  to  feel  cold  and  rather 
weak  and  strange  ;  it  was  more  like  being  frightened 
than  any  feeling  she  had  had  while  the  burglar  was 
in  the  house. 

"  Perhaps,  if  he  had  been  a  very  bad  burglar,  he 
might  have  killed  me,"  she  said  to  herself,  trembling 
a  little.  "  I  arn  very  glad  he  did  not  kill  me,  for  — 
for  it  would  have  hurt  mamma  so,  and  papa  too, 
when  he  came  back,  and  they  told  him." 

Her  mamma  wakened  in  the  morning  with  a  bright 
smile. 

"  Nobody  hurt  us,  Nixie  "  she  said.  "  We  are  all 
right,  ar  n't  we  ? " 

"  Yes,  mamma  dear,"  said  Editha. 

She  did  not  want  to  startle  her  just  then,  so  she 


56 

safd  nothing  more,  and  she  even  said  nothing  all 
through  the  excitement  that  followed  the  discovery 
of  the  robbery,  and  indeed,  said  nothing  until  her 
papa  came  home,  and  then  he  .wondered  so  at  her 
pale  face,  and  petted  her  so  tenderly,  and  thought  it 
so  strange  that  nothing  but  her  treasures  had  been 
taken  from  upstairs,  that  she  could  keep  her  secret 
no  longer. 

"  Papa,"  she  cried  out  all  at  once  in  a  trembling 
voice,  "  I  gave  them  to  him  myself." 

"  You,  Nixie  !  You  !  "  exclaimed  her  papa,  look 
ing  alarmed.  "  Kitty,  the  fright  has  made  the  poor 
little  thing  ill." 

"  No,  papa,"  said  Editha,  her  hands  shaking,  and 
the  tears  rushing  into  her  eyes,  she  did  not  know 
why.  "I  heard  him,  and  —  I  knew  mamma  would 
be  so  frightened,  —  and  it  came  into  my  mind  to  ask 
him  —  not  to  waken  her,  —  and  I  crept  down  stairs 
* —  and  asked  him  ;  —  and  he  was  not  at  all  unkind 
though  he  laughed.  And  I  stayed  with  him,  and  — 
and  told  him  I  would  give  him  all  my  things  if  he 
would  not  touch  yours  nor  mamma's.  He  —  he  was  n't 
such  a  bad  burglar,  papa,  —  and  he  told  me  he  would 
rather  be  something  more  respectable." 


£S  • 


•TO    THINK    OF    HER    RISKING    HER    DEAR    LITTLE    LIFE    TO    SAVE    ME.' 


59 

And   she   hid   her  face  on  her  papa's   shoulder. 

"  Kitty  !  "  papa  cried  out.     "  Oh,  Kitty  !  " 

Then  her  mamma  flew  to  her  and  knelt  down  by 
her,  kissing  her,  and  crying  aloud  : 

"  Oh,  Nixie  !  if  he  had  hurt  you,  —  if  he  had  hurt 
you." 

"  He  knew  I  was  not  going  to  scream,  mamma," 
said  Editha.  "  And  he  knew  I  was  too  little  to  hurt 
him.  I  told  him  so." 

She  scarcely  understood  why  mamma  cried  so 
much  more  at  this,  and  why  even  papa's  eyes  were 
wet  as  he  held  her  close  up  to  his  breast. 

"  It  is  my  fault,  Francis,"  wept  the  poor  little 
mamma.  "  I  have  left  her  too  much  to  herself,  and 
I  have  not  been  a  wise  mother.  Oh,  to  think  of  her 
risking  her  dear  little  life  just  to  save  me  from  being 
frightened,  and  to  think  of  her  giving  up  the  things 
she  loves  for  our  sakes.  I  will  be  a  better  mother 
to  her,  after  this,  and  take  care  of  her  more." 

But  I  am  happy  to  say  that  the  watch  and  locket 
and  pearls  were  not  altogether  lost,  and  came  back  to 
their  gentle  little  owner  in  time.  About  six  months 
after,  the  burglar  was  caught,  as  burglars  are  apt  to 
be.  and,  after  being  tried  and  sentenced  to  transpor- 


6o 

tation  to  the  penal  settlements  (which  means  that  he 
was  to  be  sent  away  to  be  a  prisoner  in  a  far  coun 
try),  a  police  officer  came  one  day  to  see  Editha's 
papa,  and  he  actually  came  from  that  burglar,  who 
was  in  jail  and  wanted  to  see  Editha  for  a  special 
reason.  Editha's  papa  took  her  to  see  him,  and  the 
moment  she  entered  his  cell  she  knew  him. 

"  How  do  you  do,  my  lord  ?"  she  said,  in  a  gentle 
tone. 

"  Not  as  lively  as  common,  rniss,"  he  answered, 
"  in  consekence  o'  the  confinement  not  bein'  good 
fer  my  'e'lth." 

"  None  of  your  chaff,"  said  the  police  officer. 
"  Say  what  you  have  to  say." 

And  then,  strange  to  say,  the  burglar  brought 
fonh  from  under  his  mattress  a  box,  which  he 
handed  to  the  little  girl. 

''  One  o'  my  wisitors  brought  'em  in  to  me  this 
mornin "/'  he  said.  "  I  thought  yer  might  as  well 
hev  'env  I  kep'  'em  partly  'cos  it  was  more  conven- 
ienter,  an'  partly  'cos  I  took  a  fancy  to  yer.  I've 
seed  a  many  curi's  things,  sir,"  he  said  to  Editha's 
papa,  "1'ut  never  nothin'  as  blcomin'  queer  as  that 
little  kid  a-comin'  in  an'  tellin'  me  she  wont  'urt  me, 


THE    BURGLAR    BROUGHT    FROM     UNDER    HIS    MATTRESS    A    BOX 
WHICH    HB    HANDED    TO    THE    LITTLB    GIRL. 


63 

nor  yet  wont  scream,  and  please  wont  I  burgle 
quietly  so  as  to  not  disturb  her  mar.  It  brought  my 
'art  in  my  mouth  when  first  I  see  her,  an'  then,  lor', 
how  I  larft.  I  almost  made  up  my  mind  to  give  her 
things  back  to  her  afore  I  left,  but  I  did  n't  quite  do 
that  —  it  was  agin  human  natur'." 

But  they  were  in  the  box  now,  and  Editha  was  so 
glad  to  see  them  that  she  could  scarcely  speak  for 
a  few  seconds.  Then  she  thanked  the  burglar  po 
litely. 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,"  she  said,  "  and  I'm 
really  very  sorry  you  are  to  be  sent  so  far  away.  I 
am  sure  papa  would  have  tried  to  help  you  if  he 
could,  though  he  says  he  is  afraid  you  would  not  do 
for  an  editor." 

The  burglar  closed  one  eye  and  made  a  very  sin 
gular  grimace  at  the  police  officer,  who  turned  away 
suddenly  and  did  not  look  round  until  Editha  had 
bidden  her  acquaintance  good-bye. 

A.nd  even  this  was  not  quite  all.  A  few  weeks 
later,  a  box  was  left  for  Editha  by  a  very  shabby, 
queer-looking  man,  who  quickly  disappeared  as  soon 
as  he  had  given  it  to  the  servant  at  the  door  ;  and 
in  this  box  was  a  very  large,  old-fashioned  silver 


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JUL  2  4  1962 


NOV  4  7  1968 


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